A Crummy Old Music Box and a Very Cool Corvette
by anonymous7
Summary: Another companion piece to Blind Through a Blizzard? and The Chimpanzee and the Goldfish


A Crummy Old Music Box and a Very Cool Corvette  
  
Summary: Another companion piece to "Blind Through a Blizzard?" and "The Chimpanzee and the Goldfish"  
  
Timeframe: One scene for each season.  
  
Disclaimer: All characters are the property of Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions.  
  
This story, however, is mine. Please don't archive it without my permission.  
  
Rating: G  
  
Note: There are spoilers to several episodes.  
  
This is done from first person, unlike the previous two and so is sort of stream of conscious. It just seemed like the best way to do this, but I'm not sure. Please let me know if the rambling effect makes it hard to read.  
  
This idea wasn't mine. I had no intention of doing these from more than Lee and Amanda's perspective. But then someone suggested more and the ideas of how they'd work came to me. So, thanks for the idea, Barbara! Sorry it took so long to get the first one out.  
  
Feedback: All is welcome.  
  
They're engaged. I'm sure of it. I mean, she hasn't said anything yet, but they must be engaged. Jamie doesn't remember what it was like when Dad was still here, but I do. When I was really little, Dad would come home for holidays and Mom would be so happy. She'd smile all the time and always be touching Dad and stuff.  
  
She doesn't do that with Dean and so I thought it wasn't going to last. I mean he's been around for awhile, and Mom has seemed happier, but not like she was when Dad was here.  
  
But they must be engaged. Last week, at Nancy Jameson's birthday party, Tommy Sheridan got her a stuffed raccoon. He said that girls go all mushy for stuffed animals and he might get a kiss. It didn't work. When he went to kiss her, Nancy punched him. Hard.  
  
But Dean must have bought Mom that giant panda bear she has in her room and her birthday was months ago. And Mom kissed him before the panda bear appeared (I know I shouldn't have peaked, but I couldn't help it). So he must have wanted something else.  
  
Plus, just a few weeks ago, he bought her a music box. And I know that was important 'cause Mom seemed awfully upset when I told her it was broken and Mom doesn't get upset that easily.  
  
Plus, Mom's been acting all goofy - getting strange phone calls and leaving without a word. Tracy Sullivan's mom did the same thing. Turns out she was planning on eloping. Gee, I hope Mom and Dean don't elope. I want to be there at Mom's wedding, you know? Not that Dean is the guy I'd pick for her. He so boring, and Mom is cool, for a Mom I mean. But if Dean makes her happy, than I guess that's okay. I think Jamie still thinks Dad might come home, but I don't think so. Don't get me wrong, I like my dad, but he's just not into us like Mom is. I don't think he wants to come home, and since we won't ask him to, he won't.  
  
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This is so cool! Mom won a trip to Germany for all of us. I'm not much into travel or anything, not like Grandma and Jamie, but the glocken- whatever is really cool. The only thing is Mom's strange behavior is getting worse. Last night she disappeared for the whole night, and didn't tell Grandma where she was going. Grandma said she didn't care, but I know she did. Actually, I think she was glad Mom was out all night. I'm not sure what she thinks Mom might have been doing, but whatever it is, Grandma thinks it would be good for her.  
  
Mom is making some strange friends now too. Last year, she brought a Princess to one of our plays and this year that nice old lady who decided to help Mom paint the dining room grey. Yuck!  
  
I know last year I was sure she was engaged to Dean and now we never see him anymore, but now I'm even more sure Mom is married to someone else. I know that sounds weird. I mean, Mom would tell us if she got married, right? But well, I was rooting around her closet looking for my birthday gifts, and I found this box. I thought it might contain some smaller gifts so I opened it up. Only it was filled with weird things - like a football signed by some guy named Sandy Newcomb. At the bottom of it was this picture. Mom was all dressed up in what looked like a wedding gown, only the guy in the picture wasn't Dad. They were smiling at each other, but strangely. Almost like they barely knew each other. I don't quite get it. Mom's married to some guy we never met?  
  
I want to talk to Grandma about it, but what if she doesn't know either? She'd be upset, right?  
  
And all these weird things have happened to her lately as well. First everyone thought she had died. Then she quits her new job for that film company to work somewhere else (I don't remember where) and her new boss dies right after she starts and they thought she did it. It's almost like Mom is staring in some sort of TV show where the heroine is always getting into trouble and stuff.  
  
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Mom is getting weirder and weirder. She runs off after dinner more than ever and even when she's home, she spends an awful lot of time outside at night. She even missed my play! Earlier this year, she stayed up all night to read "The Wizard of Oz" and woke up with some sort of epif. something or other - an amazing thought or whatever. Jamie and I spent all morning rereading it, but it was exactly the way I remembered it - nothing to stay up all night about.  
  
But then, life here has been weird even without Mom. Dad's back, sort of. He's not around much, but more than he used to be. Now that he's out of trouble that is. I thought he and Mom might get back together, and I think Jamie is still hoping so, but I don't think so anymore. Mom just seemed really glad to see him when that weirdo came into the gym that day.  
  
But she seems happy even if she's not with Dad. Last night she came home smiling in a way I'd never seen before - mushy or something, and when I tried to get out of doing the dishes, she grabbed my arm and said, "No, not this time, kiddo!" But her voice kind of faded out on the work "kiddo" and she got this really wistful look to her face. If I didn't know any better I'd say Mom was in love.  
  
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Mom is definitely in love. This time I'm sure. Okay, I was sure with Dean and I was sure she was married a couple of years ago, but those were silly childish thoughts. Now I'm all grown up and I can tell she's in love. And he's really neat. I know Jamie doesn't think so, but I don't know what his problem is. He drives this cool Corvette and he said maybe we could take it out on the track someday. And he plays basketball pretty well for an old guy.  
  
It's weird - he's nothing like Dad, but Mom seems really happy. And Grandma really likes him, too. I think it's cause of how nice he is to Mom. He picks her up for work sometimes and when he comes for dinner he always looks happy to see us, even if he seems a bit nervous. But when he sees Mom his eyes light up or something. It's kind of goofy, I know, but I can understand. I think my eyes lit up whenever Emma Thurnston came up to my locker at school last week. Now I realize that was silly - Emma is really lame! But Lee is lucky. Mom isn't lame, so he'll be able to keep letting his eyes light up when she comes into a room.  
  
And, best yet - I've seen them be mushy - like Mom and Dad used to. Not often, but a couple of times after dinner I've come downstairs and seen them on the coach making out. It's weird, I'm a little grossed out at the thought of Mom making out, but I'm not stupid. She's been alone for too long. Mom should be happy, and I think making out with Lee makes her happy.  
  
Actually, just having him over for dinner seems to make her happy, too.  
  
She's around more now, too. She goes out often - I think with Lee, and sometimes she still works late, but she seems to spend more evenings at home now than she used to. Of course, Lee is here, too, but that's okay.  
  
I wonder if someday they'll get married. Lee would make a cool stepdad. 


End file.
